Bottle-stopper.



W. W. WOODRUFF.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLIGATION FILED JANJ, 1913.

1,1 16,663, Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

,P: I (v: i I

wa l/Lessee v r Wow-M35,

vvILLIs w. WOODRUFF, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

norrrnn-srorrnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 7, 1913. Serial No. 740,633.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVnonis W'. Woonnorr, citizen oi the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county oll-lennepin and State of Mmnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Stoppers, of which the following is a speci fication. l This invention relates to improvements in 1 bottle stooiers and has for one of its obyects to provlde a simply constructed devlce which may be readily inserted intothe bottle neck and 1s compressible to adapt the stopper to bottle necks of varying sizes,

while at the same time possessing sui'licient resiliency to retain the stopper in position and likewise enable the same to be readily extracted without injury tothe stopper so that thelatter can be repeatedly used.

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter snown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the illvention: Figure 1 is a side elevation the improved stopper in its simpler form an ranged within the neck of a bottle, the latter being shown in section; Fig. is a ,sec-

tion of the stopper on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the improved stopper vlewed from beneath; Fig.

i llsa View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modification in the construction.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views ofthe accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Much dilliculty is experienced when eniploying bottle stoppers formed of cork and like materials to remove the same without destroying the stopper or impairing its usefulness, and the principal object of the pres ent invention is to provide a stopper which while effectually closing the neck of the bot tle at the same time may be readily detached without injury to the stopper so that the same maybe repeatedly used. The improved stopper may be constructed of any suitable material which possesses sufficient elasticity or yieldableness, but for the purpose of illustration a stopper of cork is shown. It will be understood, however, that it is not desired to limit the invention to the use of any particular material.

The stopper comprises a bodyportion 10,

which may be slightly taperedtofittheta- .peredneck 11 oi. the bottle, as shownin Fig. l, but the stopper when constructed of cork or like material may be formed with parallel sides and adapted to be compressed into the bottle neck either tapered or straight when suliicient pressure is ap- Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

plied. In Figs. 1, and 3 the stopper is formed tapered to fit a bottle hayinga tapered neck and projecting attlie outer end beyond the rim of the bottle neck, while in liig. l: the stopper is shown with parallel sides and compressed into abottle neck l l hav'n'ig correspondingly parallel sides. In

the modification shown in Fig. 4 also the upper I end of the stopper is shown located slightly below the rim of the neck to provide a spacefor receiving a sealing material or compoundindicated at l5.

The body 10 is provided in lts mner or smaller endwith a longitudinal bore 12 and with a plurality of V-shapedincisions 13 extending into the body of thestopper preferably a distance corresponding to the depth of thebore 12, as represented in Fig.

Theinoisi ons 13 are thusii'elatively long and the walls slightly spaced apart at the end of the stopper and converged to a common point at their inner ends, as shown. By this simple means, when the cork is inserted in the neck of the bottle the portion in which theincisions 13 are located are compressed, and while the stopper 1s thus caused to readily enterthe neck of the bottle, the expansion of the material between the incisions causes the stopper to adhere with sufficient force against the interior of the neck to effectually prevent its accidental displacement while at the same time en abling the cork to be more readily extracted and without injury thereto.

Any required number of the incisions 13 may be employed, but generally four will be used, as shown, and arranged in opposite relations transversely of the body of the stopper. l

A stopperconstructed as above described possesses many advantages over the ordinary stopper from the fact that while it may be more readily insertedand removed, it adheres with sufficient tenacity to the interior walls of the neck to effectually prevent the escape of liquids or gases from the bottle.

The stopper may be inserted entirely within the neck of the bottle, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the outer end is slightly below the outer rim of the neck to provide for the insertion of a suitable sealing material, as before stated, or the stopper may be left extending beyond the bottle neck as shown in Fig. 1. A Any required sealing compound may be employed, but the following compound has been employed with satisfactory results for this purpose: Two parts gum tragacanth dissolved in water to a complete liquid state, then add four parts of white isinglass in sufiicient alcohol or high Wines to dissolve the ingredients. The mixture is then subjected to heat and gently stirred until thoroughly compounded. This compound thus produced while in a liquid state is poured into the space above the stopper 10 and within the bottle neck and permitted to dry, when it will adhere firmly to the stopper and to the adjacent portions of the bottle neck and form an effectual seal.

What I claim is: ,p

1. As a new article of manufacture, a bottle stopper comprising a solid body member of yieldable material having its upper portion provided with a smooth and uninterrupted annular face, and its lower portion formed with a longitudinal bore extending approximately one-half the height of the stopper, there being a plurality of tapered kerfs formed in the stopperbelow said uninterrupted annular face and intersecting the longitudinal bore,'said kerfs defining a plurality of intermediate solid segments which are adapted to be urged toward bottle stopper comprising a solid body mem ber of yieldable material having its upper portion provided with a smooth and uninterrupted annular face, and its lower portion formed with a longitudinal bore extending approximately one-half the height of the stopper, therebeing a plurality of tapered kerfs formed in the body member below the uninterrupted annular face thereof, the walls of said kerfs converging toward the upper end of the bore and intersecting said bore throughout its entire length, said kerfs defining a plurality of intermediate solid segments the inner faces of which are concave, said segments being substantially V-shaped and of a thickness greater than the diameter of the bore, the segments being adapted to be urged toward the longitudinal axis of the body member and in contact with one another upon the insertion of the stopper into the neck of a bottle, whereby to cause the concave faces of the segments to register witheach other at the bore of the stopper.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

NVILLIS W. VVOODRUFF. \Vitnesses:

WV. H. HARRIES, R. R. HENDnRsoN.

Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

